Issues with conditioning and carbonation

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by Sunhunters, Jan 24, 2013.

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  1. Sunhunters

    Sunhunters Initiate (0) Oct 22, 2008 California

    Recently did a 5 gallon batch of black IPA (Partial mash - OG 1.077) that we had brewed successfully before. This time instead of bottling in 22oz and 12oz bottles with crown-caps, we bottled it in a half dozen 64oz growlers (a mix of screw-caps and kolsch-caps) and a 128oz kolsch-cap bottle. Like we had done in the past, we sanitized the growlers with diluted Iodophor. We primed it with the same amount of boiled corn sugar as we had in previous batches, and let it condition in the same environment (68-75 degrees F). However, this time, only one of the growlers carbonated properly! The others were flat and sweet. The one that properly carbonated was a 64oz screw-cap. It's confusing us as to what could have happened. Anyone have any insight into what might have went wrong?

    Cheers!

    Jon McCarthy
     
    #1 Sunhunters, Jan 24, 2013
  2. VikeMan

    VikeMan Grand Pooh-Bah (3,067) Jul 12, 2009 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah

    How long have the bottles been carbonating?
     
    #2 VikeMan, Jan 24, 2013
  3. loony4lambic

    loony4lambic Initiate (0) Nov 26, 2012 California

    just be glad you didnt end up with bombs
     
    #3 loony4lambic, Jan 24, 2013
  4. Sunhunters

    Sunhunters Initiate (0) Oct 22, 2008 California

    About a month and a half.
     
    #4 Sunhunters, Jan 24, 2013
  5. AlCaponeJunior

    AlCaponeJunior Grand Pooh-Bah (3,452) May 21, 2010 Texas
    Society Pooh-Bah

    I never had an issue with the screw top type growlers. I've used them a few times when I was short on bottles. I always kept them in a separate plastic container tho, in case they made bombs. None ever made bombs, BTW, and all carbonated fine. I don't use them anymore tho.

    I am wondering if your growler tops are sealing tightly enough.

    I also wonder if they're still sweet, is there some other factor that you did differently this time? Other than the growlers?
     
    #5 AlCaponeJunior, Jan 24, 2013
  6. VikeMan

    VikeMan Grand Pooh-Bah (3,067) Jul 12, 2009 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah

    Only two possibilities come to mind then, though there may be others...
    1) Bad seals
    2) Uneven distribution of priming sugar before bottling
     
    #6 VikeMan, Jan 24, 2013
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  7. Sunhunters

    Sunhunters Initiate (0) Oct 22, 2008 California

    As to the quality of the seals, one of the screw caps was a little loose, but the rest were air-tight. If anything, the kolsch-caps would have formed better seals than the screw-caps I think, but it was a screw-cap that ended up carbonating properly.

    The distribution of priming sugar / yeast could be an issue. The growler that carbonated wasn't all the way filled up, making me think it was probably the last one we filled when bottling. Maybe a disproportionate amount of yeast and priming sugar had sunk to the bottom of the bottling bucket? How do you all make sure the priming sugars and yeast are well mixed in to the beer without stirring in too much oxygen?
     
    #7 Sunhunters, Jan 24, 2013
  8. VikeMan

    VikeMan Grand Pooh-Bah (3,067) Jul 12, 2009 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah

    I don't bottle very often, but Stir Gently, under the surface, is my advice.
     
    #8 VikeMan, Jan 24, 2013
    Sunhunters likes this.
  9. geezerpk

    geezerpk Initiate (0) Nov 8, 2010 South Carolina

    If the flat containers were also sweet, that would indicate to me that their was no fermentation to create the C02. Why that happened is another matter. Might make a yeast slurry with a very small amount of dry yeast and try adding that to each of the flat containers and then recapping them. Perhaps bump us the carbing temp a few degrees, too, if that's an option.
     
    #9 geezerpk, Jan 24, 2013
    Sunhunters likes this.
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